Wikimedia Commons
Ericaceae
Mountain Laurel
Kalmia latifolia
Ambition and perseverance.
- Family
- Ericaceae
- Genus
- Kalmia
- Native to
- Eastern United States
- Bloom season
- Spring, Summer
- Type
- evergreen shrub
- Height
- 5-15 ft
- Sunlight
- part shade to full sun
- Soil
- acidic, well-drained
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- 4-9
- Lifespan
- perennial
Did you know
- Mountain laurel is the state flower of both Connecticut and Pennsylvania.
- Its flowers have a unique spring-loaded mechanism: stamens are tucked under tension and catapult pollen onto visiting insects.
- All parts of the plant are toxic, and honey made from mountain laurel nectar can cause illness, known historically as 'mad honey.'
- The dense, knotted wood was historically prized for making tobacco pipes, tool handles, and clock gears.
- Despite being called 'laurel,' it is not related to the true laurels (Laurus) but belongs to the heath family.
Color meanings
0
ambition
1
perseverance
2
glory